Joanne makes awards final

Joanne Hutsby, a partner in Gillotts Funeral Directors, Nottingham, was named as a finalist in an award scheme aimed at celebrating women in business.

Joanne made a shortlist of three in the Female Executive of the Year category of the Women in Business awards run by her local newspaper, the Nottingham Post.

Around 300 people – including Joanne’s family and staff from Gillotts – attended the award ceremony at a top Nottingham hotel.

Joanne didn’t win but welcomed the chance to bring recognition to the funeral industry: “It was a real honour to be recognised and it was great to fly the flag for the funeral industry at such a prestigious occasion,” she said.

“There were plenty of inspiring stories of entrepreneurship among the nominees and it’s only when I reflected on what Gillotts has achieved in the past year that I realised how entrepreneurial businesses in our industry have to be in order to thrive as well.”

Joanne, who is also the current president of the Nottingham, Derby and District Funeral Directors' Association, has overseen a rebranding for Gillotts, the relocation of a key office and the opening of a new branch this year.

Gillotts, which employs 12 staff, operates four funeral homes in Nottinghamshire, in Eastwood, Kimberley, Stapleford and Selston, as well as a further office in Heanor, Derbyshire.

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